Prompts
by Mouse9
Summary: There are twenty prompts, each one a quote that has to be incorporated into the story. There will probably be more than twenty entries. This is multiple characters, friendships and relationships (most relationships) the characters will be posted along with the title.
1. You're Going to Get Sick (CR)

"Wow. I thought Wellington-Lloyd's never got sick?"

Rhonda had been in bed all day with a cold. She'd even missed school which was one thing she'd never do if at all possible.  
Her head hurt, her eyes were hot, she had body aches, her nose kept running and she kept sneezing. She couldn't eat, she felt weak and all she wanted was to sleep and her mother.  
Her parent's, unfortunately, were out of town and she was home alone…well, as alone as one could be with housekeepers and kitchen staff.  
She was miserable, she was lonely, she was feeling sorry for herself and the last thing she wanted was anyone to see her in this state.  
So of course, that means the one person she most didn't want to see was the one person currently standing in her bedroom.  
"What do you want Thaddeus?"  
Shoe couldn't even sound mean because her nose was all stuffed up and making her voice sound weird. The tall dark haired teen shut the door behind him and walked across her room. He pulled out the chair by her desk and plopped her books and homework onto the desk before taking a seat.  
"Ah cupcake, is that any way to treat someone who brings you your homework and today's gossip?'  
Tad was tall and lanky, with tussled black hair and chiseled features. He'd grown into his looks since grade school and the change of eyewear had landed him on the unofficial high school's Instagram page under the hashtag #hotguysinglasses.  
But he was still weird, still dedicated and still hers. Which made him almost perfect.  
Despite all of that, she looked and felt like the undercarriage of a taxi and the idea of anyone seeing her like this did not appeal to her at all.  
"I look horrible." She whined. "Go away."  
"Nope. And you look sick, Rhonda. You can never look horrible."  
She groaned, throwing an arm across her eyes. "Why are you tormenting me? I'm sick, I haven't been able to get any rest, I feel horrible. My parents are gone and I'm just miserable."  
"Awww, my poor, sick goddess." She heard a noise and then her blankets were moved. She opened her eyes and looked at him.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Scooch. I'm keeping you company. Trust me, I got this."  
"You certainly do not. Get out of my bed you goof! I'm sweaty and icky and I'm still in my pajamas."  
"So?" he threw the covers back over her and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "When I was little and was sick, my mom would climb into bed, wrap her arms around me and sing softly until I fell asleep. When you feel achy and miserable there's something comforting about knowing someone is watching over you when you're sick."  
"You're going to get sick." She pushed at his chest, her heart beating fast. Tad that close to her hadn't happened in a long while. She could still remember when it had.  
His hand came up, stroking her hair. "Quit complaining. I've already had my shots. Go to sleep Rhonda."  
She tried to fight it but the cold medicine combined with the rhythmic stroking of her hair and the nonsensical whispering against her temple, Rhonda quickly relaxed and fell asleep.

* * *

It was dark when she woke up. The small light on her desk was on and Tad was sitting at her desk doing homework. There was a tray sitting next to him on the desk.  
She sat up, covering her mouth as she yawned. She felt much better than she had that morning although her nose was still red.  
"I made you some soup and tea. Mrs. Steven's said you hadn't eaten anything all day and you have more medicine to take."  
He stood up and brought the tray to her as she sat up in bed, resting against her pillows. Her stomach growled at the smell of the soup.  
"What are you still doing here?"  
"You're still sick. Although you look a little healthier."  
"I feel a bit better." She took a spoonful of soup, the warm broth soothing her throat. "I didn't know how hungry I was."  
"Thank Mrs. Stevens. She's the one who made it, I just brought it up."  
She finished the soup and tea while he sat back down and finished homework, the silence between them comfortable. She watched him work as she finished her tea.  
"How did you know I was sick?"  
"Nadine." He said by way of explanation. "But don't get mad at her. She came to me this afternoon after she got your text and asked me if I could drop off your homework. Her parent's had an emergency and she had to leave school early. "  
Nadine was the only one who knew about her…interactions with Tad. So it would've had to have been an emergency if she had asked him to drop off her homework. She swallowed the pills with the last of the tea and moved the tray. He looked up as she swung her legs out of bed.  
"Where are you going?"  
"I need a shower. I feel gross."  
He watched her for a long moment. "Be careful. You're still sick and I don't want to have to pull you out of the shower because you fell."  
"You wish." She said as she walked past him and into her bathroom.

* * *

The steam from the shower cleared up her sinuses and her chest, making it easier to breath. She felt cleaner and more like herself. She changed her pajamas to fresh and cuter ones, being sick was no reason to not look cute.  
When she walked back into her room, she noticed her sheets had been changed. Fresh sheets and blankets were on her bed, tidily made.  
"Mrs. Steven's came in while you were in the shower." Tad explained. "She changed the linens and made the bed."  
Rhonda smiled. At least someone was looking out for her while she was sick. Tad was picking up his book bag and standing up.  
"Are you leaving?"  
"I figured you wanted to get some sleep. I didn't want to bother you."  
"Do you…"she hesitated. "Will you get into trouble if you're out past curfew?"  
"I can call my mom and tell her I'll be late. Why?"  
"I was wondering…could you…would you mind staying for a little longer? I mean, you were right, I slept better, you know, earlier."  
He stood there for a moment and then smiled, and dropping his book bag next to the desk.  
"I could probably stay a bit longer."  
She climbed back into bed as he toed his shoes off again and climbed in next to her.  
"Your hair smells better," he said as she got comfortable. She pushed against his chest as his arms wrapped around her.  
"Don't be mean."  
"Never," His hand stroked her hair as she rested her cheek against his shoulder. She felt the light pressure of his lips against her temple. "Go to sleep, cupcake."  
The warmth of the covers coupled with the rhythmic stroking of her hair and the steady sound of his heartbeat against her hand made her feel safe and comforted. With his breath steady against her cheek and soft words whispered in her ear, she fell asleep.

* * *

 **AN:** This story is dedicated to Pointy Objects. She was having a bad day and not feeling well and I wrote her this little fluff piece to make her feel better.

If you haven't (and honestly, who hasn't?) go read her fic "Avalanche" In fact, just go read all of Pointy's work, she's a bloody genius!


	2. I'm Flirting With You (AH)

I didn't know what he was doing, I thought he was being his usual overly affectionate self.

Touches that lingered a breath too long, fingers trailing down arms and shoulders instead of moving immediately after the initial touch.

The intrusion of personal space; he'd always had a problem with getting too close before but now…

The looks, the smiles, those eyes-Dear God-those eyes.

It all led to me confronting him and him saying four simple words.

I'm flirting with you.

Me?

You.

Why?

If you have to ask…

It ended with a kiss.

One simple kiss,

And I was his.


	3. I Didn't Know You Could Sing? (AH)

Hey Diary-

Maybe I need to write this out. Maybe it'll sound…I don't know, less incredible if I write it out.

Today was just…I don't know. Hence the writing. Mr. Carpenter always says we can figure out things if we see them on paper. Or in modern days, the computer. I am not about to start writing in an actual diary. Although my dad did…

I'm stalling.

It started with me ducking into the auditorium to escape Gerald.

I'm a horrible friend but recently Gerald and Phoebe have been…grating my nerves. Not that I dislike Phoebe, not at all. She is a great person and really smart and the only other person willing to put up with Gerald. No, I love Phoebe and she and Gerald are perfect for each other.

It's the PDA.

Not that I begrudge them their happiness…oh God, I sound like a horrible person. I'm not, I swear! But seeing them in the halls, and the park, and the cafeteria and just about anywhere and they're attached at the hip.

Truth be told, I miss my best friend. I never get alone time with him anymore.

I still sound like a horrible person.

Back to the story. I saw them coming down the hall after fourth period, we have lunch together, but seeing him with his arm around her shoulder and the two of them leaning in, talking about…I have no idea and this feeling just came over me. Like I was going to throw up or kick a locker. It was a combination of nausea and anger.

This isn't getting any better. I sound like the worst friend ever. This might have been a horrible idea.

Anyway, I ducked into the auditorium to just, I don't know, hide out. I brought my lunch, maybe I could hide in the darkness and eat in there, enjoy the silence. The auditorium was dark enough. The only light was on the stage.

I was completely alone.

Or so I thought.

I'd just dropped my lunch bag on the chair next to me and popped my soda when the music came up. I about jumped out of my seat, I'd thought I was alone. The music was classical, almost like chamber music or something you'd hear in a church.

Then the singing started. Clear, beautiful, in a completely different language. But the tone gave me goosebumps. The singing style reminded me of when we went to see Carmen in fourth grade. Only there was more passion in it.

 _Pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu_

 _Qui tollis peccata mundi_

 _Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem_

The person singing stepped out onto the stage and I almost dropped my soda can.

It was Helga.

Her blond hair was in a low ponytail and she was still wearing jeans and the oversized pink and black flannel shirt I saw her into his morning. Which I don't know why I expected to see her in a different outfit, but that voice…

She needed to be in white linen, her hair loose and cascading over her shoulders like spun gold. She needed to be singing to hundreds of people all wearing diamonds sparkling like prisms when they moved surrounding her on stage in a symphony of colors.

 _Sempiternam_

 _Dona eis requiem_

 _Sempiternam_

 _Requiem_

 _Sempiternam_

She held the last note, letting it fade away with the music and I realized I was crying.

Not sobbing like a baby crying but there were tears in my eyes. Helga's singing had moved me to tears. In a good way.

I grabbed the remainder of my lunch, shoving it all back into my lunch bag as she turned around and spoke to someone just off stage. I stumbled out of the seat and hurried down the aisle towards the stage. I had to talk to her.

I had no idea what I was going to say but I had to say something.

She turned back around to face the seats when I finally stumbled into the light of the stage. I probably looked ridiculous, wide eyed and stumbling over my lunchbag and my feet in my hurry to reach her. She gave me a look, one I was used to seeing; like she didn't expect me and was suddenly caught without a script.

And as usual, she recovered quickly.

"What are you doing here football head?"

"I didn't know you could sing."

Yes. Those words actually came out of my mouth. Because apparently I forgot how to sound like an actual almost adult and resorted to speaking the obvious.

I expected a smart remark, or a scoff or something. I didn't expect her to look embarrassed.

She blushed,

Helga Pataki doesn't blush. She just doesn't. It doesn't happen.

But there she was; on stage, blushing, and rubbing her arm in that way I've noticed she does when she's nervous.

"It was beautiful."

That sounded a bit more adult.

"Like really beautiful. I got goosebumps. And tears."

I could have smacked myself in the face. I just admitted to Helga that I cried. That was like an open invitation for her to announce that all over the entire school body. Yes, I need the humiliation. Please, why don't I just walk out in public in bunny pajamas again.

I braced myself, actually braced myself for the inevitable. Any minute now.

"Don't tell anyone."

Was NOT what I was expecting to hear her say. Although, to be fair, things coming out of Helga Pataki's mouth that I wasn't expecting was suddenly my new normal.

"Huh?"

Yep. Back to intelligent conversation.

"Don't tell anyone. About this. I gotta reputation to protect."

THAT sounded more like Helga.

I nodded.

"I won't. But…do you mind if I stay and listen to you?"

Before she could say anything, the bell rang, signaling class room changes for this period's lunch. Thirty minutes had passed and I hadn't even known.

"You have a class. Sorry bucko."

It was worth a shot. Picking up my lunch bag, I get ready to make the trek to my Art history class.

"See you around, Helga."

"Hey Arnold."

I turned back and her nervous habit was back.

"Um…If you get bored, I'll be in here for the next week or two practicing. But don't you dare tell Geraldo or anyone else for that matter or I'll pound you."

I grinned. Like a complete knucklehead.

"I promise. Thanks."

I headed to my class still grinning.

And that's it. My day.

The girl I have a crush on sings like an angel and I sound like a complete child when I try to talk to her.

So where's this great wisdom you're supposed to dispense? What am I supposed to see in here that I'll somehow figure ou

Waitaminute

What the hell did I just write? Hold on.

…

…

I have a crush on Helga.

My fingers wrote that I have a crush on Helga.

My brain made my fingers write that I have a crush on Helga.

I don't have a crush on Helga. Do I? That's silly. Isn't it?

I'm going to have to reread this tomorrow. After I think long and hard on what it seems my subconscious is telling me.

So.

Until tomorrow.

A

* * *

AN: The song is "Pie Jesu" The one that inspired this fic was sung by Sarah Brightman. It's beautiful, seriously, go listen to it.


	4. Are You Drunk? (AH)

In his dreams there was a rhythmic tapping of pebbles against a huge glass box. He was in the middle of the field with nothing but pink flowers, this cube of glass and mysterious pebbles falling out of nowhere.

As metaphoric dreams went, this one made absolutely zero sense.

As he watched the pebbles fall out of nowhere he gradually realized that the tapping on the glass wasn't coming from his dreams but rather outside his dreams.

He opened his eyes to see a body half laying on the glass skylight above him, tapping one finger against one skylight panel.

 _Tap…_

 _Tap tap…_

 _Tap…_

 _Tap tap…_

He almost screamed. He did jump out of bed and landed halfway in the middle of his room, his heart pounding hard against his chest, his hand searching the area for the metal baseball bat he kept by his desk.

The tapping continued.

 _Tap…_

 _Tap tap…_

 _Tap…_

As his adrenaline slowed, he realized what he thought was a menacing shape on his skylight was actually the body of a young woman and the tapping was one lone fingernail tapping against the glass.

 _Tap…_

 _Tap tap…_

 _Tap…_

"Let me in!" He barely heard the slurred whisper. As his still tired brain raced from vampires to zombies to serial killers he realized that one; he'd read too much weird stuff recently and two; the body on his skylight and the voice belonged to Helga. Abandoning his search for the bat, he stumbled in the dark towards the built in ladder in his wall and climbed it to the skylight opening. Opening it, he poked his head out and looked at the teen still laying on his skylight.

"Helga?"

She turned her head and gave him a goofy grin.

"Hi'ya football head."

"What the heck are you doing on my roof, you scared me to death!"

"Pfthtth, you look still alive to me." Her eyes widened in sudden realization. "Wait, are you dead? Am I talking to a ghost?"

She rolled off the skylight and half stumbled/ half crawled to where he was still half out of the skylight.

"Criminy Arnold, I don't want you dead! Please don't be dead."

"Are you drunk?" He knew Helga and her absolute vehemence to alcohol including her steadfast refusal to drink.

She stopped crawling and just half leaned against the skylight. "Drunk? Me? Nah…maybe. A little. Possibly. Yeah."

She ran through her entire denial and admittance so fast he almost didn't catch any of it.

"You don't drink."

She looked up at him from her prone position on the skylight.

"I think someone slipped me a mickey."

The way she said it, the almost childlike, petulant tone she had that was the complete opposite of what she usually sounded like struck him as funny.

He covered a snicker and her brows furrowed, her lower lip sticking out in a pout.

Which made him chuckle more.

"Don't laugh," she whined.

The situation wasn't funny; if she hadn't had some sort of presence of mind to come here, and how in the world did she even make it here much less climbing the fire escape when she couldn't even stand up straight, then God only knows what kind of trouble she could have found herself in. But her, in this moment, in a moment that he would quite possibly never in his life see again, was pretty amusing.

He climbed onto the roof and stood over her. Her head rolled to follow his movements.

"I can see up your nose."

"Okay, time to get up." He leaned over and grabbed her arms. He pulled and her entire upper body lifted up, her legs remaining.

"Don't let go!" she suddenly yelled. "I'll fall and crack my head open and bleed all over your pretty, pretty skylight!"

"Shhh!" He almost let go of her in his haste to cover her mouth before she woke up the boarding house and the neighborhood. By the time his hand finally clamped over her mouth to quiet her, he was half kneeling over her, one arm wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling backwards and his nose an inch away from hers. She looked up at him, his hand still over her mouth, blinked twice and then crossed her eyes.

"Don't yell." He told her. "You'll wake everyone in the boarding house, all right?"

She nodded, her breath hot against his hand. He moved it and leaned back just a little. Her eyes uncrossed.

"Your eyes are really green. Like grass on a spring day in a field of clover."

He blinked, never subjected to her poetic nature. Half kneeling and half standing, he wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"Hold on to me."

"Okay!"

"We're going to try to get you up."

Her arms went around his neck and he counted to three before pulled. This time her legs worked and she climbed to her feet.

"Ta Da!" she announced, her voice quiet but happy. Her arms were still around his neck. He looked down at her head resting against his chest.

"Don't you dare fall asleep on me Helga. We still have to get you down the ladder and into my room."

She giggled, her arms falling from around his neck. "What will the neighbors think?"

"We'll discuss it when we get you into my room." He shuffled her towards the skylight, his still tired brain trying to figure out how to get her down the wall ladder without her getting hurt.

"Um…okay, turn around slowly and hold on tight to the handles on the skylight as you go down."

"Are you going to take advantage of me?"

The question caught him off guard.

In a moment of drunken dexterity, Helga had spun around, climbed down two footholds before hopping onto his bed with a soft thump. He followed, locking the skylight window before climbing down the rest of the way.

"What?" he asked when his feet hit the floor.

"What?" she repeated.

"Never mind. What happened? Where were you?"

"Why is your room spinning?"

"Helga," He climbed onto the bed and took her shoulders to steady her. Her eyes, which had been scanning the room, locked on his. "Where were you? What happened?"

"Peapod kid had a party. Lila dragged me. I had soda. Then the room started spinning. I came here." She tiled her head, her eyes wide. "Should I not have come?"

"No. You should have. I would rather know you're here and safe than you try to stumble home and something happen to you."

Her eyes were still wide and her lips quivered as she stared at him. "You do care."

"Why would you think I wouldn't? Helga, I will always care what happens to you."

Her lips turned up in a smile and she dropped her head on his chest.

"I knew you liked me."

He opened his mouth to speak but instead let out a sigh and stroked her hair until her breathing slowed.

"I've always liked you," he whispered into her hair. He leaned against his bookcase and pulled her with him. He knew later, probably not much later, she was going to be running for the bathroom but for right now, he was content to hold her and know she was safe.


	5. Come Home With Me (AH)

"Come home with me."

We were in the park, kissing under the stars, content.

At those words I stop, frozen by words that, to anyone else, would mean nothing.

To me they mean everything.

The world fades as I contemplate what he's asking.

Do I surrender myself to him?

Give him my soul, he already owns my heart,

Lose myself to everything that is him.

Am I that strong? Could I survive?

My eyes open and I look into green orbs, greener than anything I've ever seen

I would die for him, do anything for him,

So I answer,

"Yes."


	6. I'm Flirting With You (CR)

"Hi'ya hotcakes!"

"Ugh, go away!"

"Hold on, let me start over. It's lovely to see you today, my pearl."

"No. Try again."

"Hey Rhonda."

Rhonda flipped her hair back and peered up at the dark haired teen grinning goofily down at her.

"That was unoriginal."

The grin widened. "I thought so too but I'm running out of options here, Peach."

She looked to her left where Nadine was sitting next to her, watching the proceedings in amusement. "Why do men always go to food when they want to find cutsie pet names for women?"

"I felt kumquat just sounded dirty." Tad said before Nadine could answer the question. The blond giggled as Rhonda turned her attention back to him.

"I have to ask, what are you attempting to do?"

"I'm flirting with you."

Rhonda looked back to her best friend who merely shrugged, small grin still on her lips. She turned her attention back to him.

"Oh, my poor delusional madman." She cooed. "That is not how you flirt."

She stood up and smoothed down the skirt she was wearing. When she looked back up at him, it was with a flirty smile and wide eyes.

"Is that a new shirt?" she asked almost breathlessly. Still sitting, Nadine covered her mouth with a hand to hold back the giggles. Rhonda ran a hand down one of the sleeves of the faded tee Tad was wearing. "It shows off your arms really well."

"Um…"

She sidled close to him, flipping her hair behind her shoulder and looking at him like he was the only person in the area. "Thaddeus, I have always thought that guys in glasses were just so hot." She moved closer, licking her lips. "I mean; how can anyone resist an intelligent man? And geek is the new sexy."

"Rhon?"

Smiling, she leaned up and kissed his cheek before moving away and sitting back down next to Nadine who was still stifling her giggles.

"That, my darling Thaddeus, is how you flirt."

He remained frozen, watching her as she batted her eyelashes at him and waited for a response. He cleared his throat and without warning, dropped to his knees before her. Nadine's laughs couldn't be muffled behind her hand anymore.

"My goddess, please forgive me for my completely ineffectual and clumsy attempts at winning your favor. I am not worthy of your attention."

Rhonda grinned, bending over to touch his cheek.

"Now this? This is what I would also consider flirting. But only from you, my darling acolyte. Now get that adorable backside side up here and eat lunch."

Hopping to his feet, he dropped a quick kiss on her waiting lips and took a seat on the bench next to her.

"Whatever my goddess commands."


	7. Do You Ever Think (CR)

"Do you ever think we should just stop this?"

The mansion was quiet this lazy Saturday afternoon. Tad was sitting one of the oversized recliners in the entertainment room, feet up. Rhonda was curled up in his lap, her head resting comfortably on his chest. The movie on the big screen was playing just loud enough that they could still have a conversation while they watched the movie.

"Stop what?"

"This. Us. Not us, I'll never stop that, not while there's breath in my body, but the caricature of us. The high school princess and her mad jester."

Rhonda had lifted her head as he spoke. Now she merely smiled. "Darling, I'm not a princess, I'm the queen. And every queen needs her loyal manservant."

He smacked her butt and she let out a giggling yelp. "Cute. But you know what I mean. Doesn't it tire you to play this part every time you're in public?"

"Just how long have you been playing the role of the insane jester?"

"Cupcake, I have the papers to prove my diagnosis, don't turn this around on me. I know the real you Rhonda and it's not this charade of the spoiled debutant and queen of the inner circle at high school you portray oh so well. Just once, I'd love to be with you without those titles following us."

She slid fingers over his cheek, watching his eyes close behind his wire rim glasses.

"We're in high school, baby. It what we do and unfortunately we have to do it until we graduate. If you can hold on a little longer, we'll graduate and go to a university where nobody knows who we are and we can be whomever we want."

His eyes opened, his mouth curling up in a smile. "I can hold on if you can."

"We've been holding on for years now Tad, we can do this one more year. In the meantime, I guess you'll just have to keep worshipping me in the hallowed hallways of our high school."

"Goddess, you know I will follow you anywhere and that I will never stop worshipping you where you deem appropriate."

She gave him a bright smile and leaned in to kiss him, her hand sliding under the bottom of his Henley. She pulled back to slide his glasses from his face and place them on the table currently holding the large bowl of popcorn.

"That's the sweet guy I love," she whispered before leaning back on for another kiss.


	8. Can I Kiss You? (AH)

Senior Prom was supposed to be a magical evening.

Helga had agreed to go to Prom with Arnold as friends to tag along with Gerald and Phoebe. It was turning out to be a bad plan, at least on her part.

She was trying to be friendly, Phoebe had practically threatened her to be nice, but Arnold in a tux was almost too much to bear.

She watched him from the safety of the table throughout the evening; laughing with Gerald and some of the other guys, making small talk with some of the girls, his jacket hanging on the chair beside her, shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbow, his bowtie undone and hanging around his neck, the top button undone. He looked rumpled and relaxed and criminy, how was a girl supposed to act rational when he was just **there** looking incredibly sexy?

Inwardly she cursed the heels Phoebe had talked her into getting and the pink dress and her general cowardliness that prevented her from just going up to him and…

"Hey Helga,"

She looked up, distracted from her thoughts. Arnold stood before her, looking exhausted but elated. She watched his chest rise and fall as he tried to catch his breath as she forced a smile onto her face.

"Having fun?"

"I am, yeah. But you don't look like you're having much."

She shrugged, forcing herself to meet his eyes.

"I'm not a fan of big parties."

"Wanna dance?"

"Huh?"

He tilted his head towards the crowded dance floor. "Dance. Wanna? I haven't had a dance with you all night. I keep getting pulled away."

"That's what happens when you're the popular kid, Arnold."

"Still, I'd like at least once dance with my date."

She refused to swoon. Instinctively she wanted to refused him, tell him to go back and dance with one of the other girls, that she was fine sitting here and she didn't need his pity, thank you very much.

Selfishly…

The opportunity to have him hold her in his arms, to be able to touch him even for a three-minute song, to have him that close to her. The temptation was too great.

"I guess I can spare you three minutes or so."

He held out his hand, the other behind his back and she eyed him nervously.

"You aren't going to throw me into a pool, are you?"

He chuckled. "I promise you, I would never do anything to get that beautiful dress wet."

She slid her hand into his and allowed him to help her up. He didn't let go of her hand as he led her to the dance floor. She caught Phoebe's eye as they walked onto the dance floor and he pulled her into his arms as the music changed to a slow song. Phoebe gave her a wide eyed look her gaze darting between the two of them. Helga tried to convey her panic through a look that Phoebe seemed to understand. She smiled and threw her a wink.

She tried to keep her eyes forward, looking at the wall behind him instead of the open shirt collar that was so close to her chin. Or the smell of his aftershave and cologne on his skin. His hand splayed across her back, pulling her closer to him. She swayed to the music, her hands carefully positioned on his shoulders, not moving anything except her feet. Her gaze finally left the wall and traced the contours of his neck and shoulder. She could hear his breath right next to her ear.

"Thank you for agreeing to dance with me." His voice was so low she barely heard it. "Can I tell you something?"

"I'm all yours for the next three minutes, football head."

She wanted to smack herself, why couldn't she ever say anything nice?

"I like the sound of that." His response confused her but he continued talking before she could ask him what he mean by that comment. "I've wanted to dance with you all night, but I was nervous. So I have kind of been standing around trying to gather up my courage."

"Huh?" The night had turned on its head. Nothing was making sense anymore because there was no way in hell she was standing this close to the guys she'd loved her entire life listening to him tell her he'd been working himself up all night to ask her to dance.

"It sounds so ridiculous when I say it out loud. But…I was afraid that if I danced with you earlier in the night I wouldn't want to stop. And I know we're here just as friends and I don't want to ruin that."

"Hold up." She put her hands against his chest and leaned back enough so she was able to look at him. "What are you saying? We agreed to go to this thing as friends. This isn't a date; you didn't want a date."

"What if I did?" he asked, his gaze boring into her. "This is probably going to get me walloped but yes, Helga Pataki, I wanted to go to Prom with you, as a date. I wanted to hold your hand, slow dance with you and kiss you at the end of the evening."

She simply stared at him, too stunned to say anything. This was just…she was waiting for the lights to come back on and this all be an elaborate and very cruel April Fool's joke.

Except it was May.

He was still looking at her, waiting for an answer or a beating, she wasn't sure what.

"So…"

She tilted her head in question.

"Can I kiss you? I'm not sure I'm able to wait until the end of the evening."

He wanted to…

Here, on the dance floor…

He wanted to…

The hell with this!

Her fingers tightened on his dress shirt and she pulled him to her. His lips curled into a smile right before they met hers. It was soft and innocent and much too short; she was too nervous to force anything else. The smile was still there when she pulled away. His eyes opened and he looked at her, the half lidded gaze pinning her where she stood. She felt his hand slide up her back as he ducked his head for anther kiss. There was nothing innocent about this kiss, dark and deep, his lips parting against hers and encouraging her to do the same. Her head was spinning, her hands holding onto him for balance as he delved, pulling response after response from her.

When he broke the kiss, she was left gasping. The song was over and another had begun. It seemed nobody had noticed them. His eyes were still closed, his forehead touching hers.

He licked his lips and she followed the procession of his tongue across his lips.

"Helga…"

"Yes."

His eyes opened. "What?"

She was jumping into the deep end, no looking back.

"Whatever it is, the answer is yes."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"Don't care. Yes."

He smiled, his green eyes darkening.

"Let's start with more dancing, we can discuss the rest afterwards."

"And more kissing, right?"

His smile grew. "Definitely more kissing."

She was wrong, Senior Prom really was a magical evening.


	9. It Wasn't Supposed to Happen Like That

Helga and Arnold lay on the floor panting and looking around at the destruction surrounding them.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that."

Helga turned her head to look at her companion.

"How did you expect it to happen?"

"It was supposed to be a controlled explosion followed by controlled outpouring of lava. It wasn't supposed to blow up the kitchen."

Arnold's grandmother emerged from a back room armed with a fire extinguisher and a bee keeper's suit.

"Man the battle stations troops, we're taking back the base!"

Arnold climbed to his feet as his grandmother rushed into the kitchen yelling war cries. He put out a hand to Helga to help her up.

The two sixth graders walked into the kitchen.

Bits of paper and plaster were still dripping from the ceiling, red food coloring slid from the walls. One side of the kitchen looked like a crime scene.

She couldn't help it, she laughed. Hard, deep laughs doubled over, clutching her stomach, tears streaming down her face.

Arnold watched her bemused, unsure why she was laughing but delighted to hear her laughing so freely.

"What is so funny?"

She waved a hand towards him trying to catch her breath.

"This…" she gasped. "All of this."

He chucked, her laughter contagious. Her laughter died down to giggles.

"You told me once that when you were born you made a volcano stop."

"That's not exactly how it happened but, okay…"

Her giggles were increasing.

"You just blew up a volcano, Arnold." The giggles turned back into full laughter again.

His grandmother peered at Helga through her bee keeper's mask.

"The fumes have gotten to her Kimba. Best to get her to the Infirmary."

Arnold shook his head.

"You are something else."

Helga wiped her eyes, taking several deep breathes.

"I'm fine. Woo!"

She picked up a plastic bucket and started picking up pieces of exploded volcano.

"I'll check the back lines for usurpers!" his grandmother announced heading towards the other side of the kitchen.

Arnold began picking up pieces and dropping them into the bucket next to Helga.

"As first attempts go, this wasn't so bad."

"Always with your bright side view."

"Just think how better our next attempt will go."

He dropped another piece in the bucket. "I'm glad you're my partner."

"For just this project?"

His smile was shy.

"And more."

She gave him a goofy grin. "You're such a sap."

"You like it."

Another smile. "I do."

* * *

 **AN:** I'm most proud of this one because this one inspired my art muse M0nylove17 to create a beautiful piece that I absolutely love! I inspired my inspiration, how awesome is that?


	10. I did A Pregnancy Test (GP)

"I did a pregnancy test."

These were five words he didn't ever expect to hear her say. She was the stable one, the one with her life organized with charts and color coded graphs.

Being with her for so long, he had fully expected her to one day say "We're going to have a baby." And he would just agree and start looking up how to build a crib.

Putting the game on pause, he turned around on the couch to giver he his full attention.

"And?"

He was up off the couch before the first tear fell. He gathered her up in his arms, his own eyes prickling.

"It's okay Phoebe, we can keep trying. Not everything hits on the first try."

"I know," her voice was muffled and tear filled. "But in the first few frantic moments, I decided I wanted this. A negative wasn't what I expected."

As he held her he realized, in these first few frantic moments when she had told him, he'd decided that he wanted this too.


	11. The Ikea Trip: A story in Four Parts

**AN:** To be fair, this started from a Tumblr post I reblogged because I thought it was amusing. It was commented upon as "Helga and Arnold!" Well, if Helga is going to have fun in an Ikea, then Tad wants to join along! So here we are.

* * *

"Explain to me exactly why you two oddballs want to go to IKEA?" Rhonda asked, one eyebrow arched up in question.

The idiots in question; namely Thaddeus Gumblethorpe and his partner in crime, Helga Pataki, were grinning widely.

"Because," Tad started as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "IKEA is like the Disney Land of home furnishing stores. "It's a day trip Rhon. One Helga and I are planning to partake in."

Rhonda's gaze flicked between the two cautiously. "I don't trust the two of you together in an IKEA. Separately, maybe but definitely not together."

"Then come with us cupcake." Tad suggested. Helga elbowed his side.

"We're going to explore," she stated. "She won't let us explore."

"If by explore you mean get kicked out within twenty minutes of getting in the building, then no, I won't let you explore. Neither will I go with both of you without backup." She pulled out her phone and began texting. "I'm calling Arnold for backup."

She was so focused on texting Arnold in order to forestall any possible problems that she missed Helga and Tad giving each other a subversive low five.

* * *

Arnold looked pensively at the ginormous blue and yellow square behemoth of a building.

"I'm not sure about this."

Beside him Helga grinned at the approaching building. "Did we mention it has a restaurant in it? A restaurant Arnold!"

Tad spread his arms. "Swedish meatballs…far as the eye can see."

"And its own grocery store if you need even more Swedish meatballs." Helga added. Tad nodded.

"Because on cannot have enough Swedish meatballs."

"Enough with the Swedish meatballs, you two!" Rhonda exclaimed as she pulled into the closest parking space, which was still a long walk from the building.

"They need a tram system." Helga remarked as they got of Rhonda's car.

"Nah, how would they fit all the packages on the tram system?"

"Take one person and have them come back with the car?"

Tad held up a finger but stopped. "Hmmm. You make a compelling point."

Walking behind them, Arnold glance at Rhonda. "Why did we agree to this again?"

"The two of them. Alone. In an IKEA. Unsupervised."

"Ah. Right."

They walked the half length of the parking lot to finally reach the front of the building. As they took the escalator to the main entrance, Rhonda gave both Tad and Helga a hard look.

"Behave yourselves. Both of you."

The two looked at each other and then at Rhonda and Arnold.

"It's just an IKEA. What could we possibly get into trouble over?"

"I suddenly feel an ominous feeling lingering around us." Arnold stated.

* * *

They reached the top of the second escalator and looked around.

"Well? Where to first?" Arnold asked. Helga and Tad barely glanced at the restaurant takin gin instead the marked walls and the signage above the entrances directing people in which way to go.

"Backwards?" Tad asked. Helga grinned.

"Backwards."

The two headed the complete opposite direction of the arrows, heading towards the end of the store where the stairs that led to more department's lay. Arnold and Rhonda, not expecting the sudden change, hurried after them.

"Wait!"

They finally caught up with Tad and Helga in the bed area. Helga was pushing down on mattress pads, fascinated with the slow rise and disappearance of her hand print. Tad was perusing beds, stopping every once in a while to bounce on one.

"You think my parents would freak if I came home with several large boxes?" he yelled out to Helga across the room.

"You have to get one of these mattress pads." She yelled back, pushing down on another pad. "These things are supposed to mold against your body, right?"

"That's the idea, yeah." Tad bounced on another bed before laying down on it.

"So…if you have sex on it, does it hold the shape? Like would anyone know just by looking at your mattress pad what your favorite position is?"

"Oh my God!" Arnold rushed past a giggling Rhonda to pull Helga away from the mattress pads and more than one family giving her dirty looks. "Helga!"

"That is a damn good question." Tad mused hopping off of one bed and heading towards another. Rhonda sighed as she followed passing Arnold who was still tugging at Helga.

"I thought sure mine would've been the first one to embarrass us."

"Lucky me."

"Hey Helga!" Tad suddenly poked his head around a corner. "You totally belong here. Your name fits in perfectly with the entire store. You're like, the ultimate accessory."

Helga suddenly grinned. "I'm gonna go look at furniture." She said, easily slipping out of Arnold's grasp and rushing-against the flow of foot traffic- towards the wardrobes. Arnold gave Rhonda a helpless glance before following her.

"And…I'm on my own." Rhonda muttered as she wandered around the corner in an effort to find Tad. She turned another corner and stopped.

He was lounging on one of the king-sized beds, arm propping up his head and giving her the come hither look. Grinning mischievously, he lightly patted the mattress in front of him.

"Honey, come join me."

She huffed, folding her arms.

"Thaddeus, if you don't put your shirt on right now, I'm legitimately going to leave you here."

"That's not what you said last night."

"Last night was not in the middle of an IKEA store and no!" she held up a finger as his eyes brightened at her comment. "I am not coming here after hours to sleep with you."

"Has the magic died cupcake?"

"Shirt. On. Now." She hissed. Laughing, he pulled on his tee shirt and laid back down just as a sales person stepped around the corner.

"Hi. You two have any questions?"

Tad grinned at the man as Rhonda covered her face with a hand. "No. Just testing out the softness of the mattresses, trying to figure out if I could get away with a king-sized bedframe or not in my room."

"We have several loft sized bed frames that will quite comfortably fit two people but can be fit into a loft sized apartment."

Tad's eyes sparkled as he jumped off the bed. "Lead the way good man!"

* * *

Arnold found Helga in a maze of wardrobes and dressers, muttering under her breath as she checked each tag, sometimes backtracking to look at one she's just walked away from.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to find the wardrobe that leads to Narnia." She said as she passed him for the fifth time. He sighed, letting his head fall back so he could look at the ceiling. She opened a wardrobe and stuck the entire top half of her body inside.

"Helga!" he groaned. She popped out and shut the door, eyes wide with excitement. As she passed him this time, she grabbed his arm and tugged him along.

"Now what are we doing?" he asked, exasperated.

"Looking. Did you know I can't pronounce a one of these names?" She lifted the tag on a wardrobe. "Like this. Brimnes. Okay…well, that one was easy. But there's one around her called a Koppigges."

"A…what?"

"A kopinhagenshiga." She shrugged and pulled him towards a dresser, picking up the tag. He read it.

"Helga, it says Koppang."

"These words. These are not American words."

"Possibly because they're Swedish?"

She wandered around, looking at more tags. "New plan. I'm gonna choose a random tag and whatever unfathomable word is on it, I'm gonna name our kid that."

"Please stop." He begged. She stopped in front of a wardrobe and picked up the tag.

"Our first child will be named." She read the tag. "Kullen."

He frowned. "That…actually isn't too horrible."

"Nope." Letting go of the tag, she headed back towards the dressers. "Sounds too much like a Twilight name, I'm not naming my imaginary kid after a Twilight character."

"Wait. You'll name our firstborn after a piece of Swedish made furniture but you won't name them after a character in a book?"

"I have standards Arnold. Ah ha!" She stopped at a white dresser and picked up the tag. "How about…Trysil."

"Again. Not horrible."

"Kind of Game of Thrones. I could work with it. Oh wait." Turning, she picked up another tag. "Dyfjord! Perfect!"

"No!"

"But Arnold…"

"I am not going to name our imaginary first born Dyfjord! And why am I even arguing this point with you?" Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of the furniture section. "I've half a mind to just lock you in one of the wardrobes…"

"Oh! Maybe that way the doorway to Narnia will open. Let's do it!"

"Helga!"

* * *

She lost him around design room number three. He took one look at the kitchen area and looked heartbroken, his lower lip wobbling before he rushed out and headed towards one of the design children's rooms. She could hear him wailing further down the path and for once was torn between looking at the design rooms, honestly, some of the rooms were just amazing and she'd love to own a kitchen exactly like it or trying to find her darling little madman.

She did a little of both. Halfway through the room, she finally found him in the loft living rooms- how to make an entire design plan home out of 700 square feet- sitting on a couch with a book in his hand, looking devastated. Sighing, she sat on the couch next to him.

"What?"

He merely looked at her, lower lip stuck out and quivering. She merely rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Tad, you have got to stop crying about all the rooms."

He sniffed once before wailing. "I can't help it! Most of them don't have windows and all their books are in Swedish, it's so tragic!"

He fell onto his side onto the couch, sending a couple of people in the room looking into titters. Rhonda just sighed again, feeling a headache coming on.

"Tad, they're design rooms." She said.

"They never even got the chance to be real rooms!" he wailed from his spot on the couch, still clutching the book to his chest. "Maybe they don't want to be pretend rooms, maybe all they want is to have real people living in them to make them feel whole."

"I can't believe I'm feeling bad for a design room." One person muttered to his partner as they passed the couch. Tad stroked the couch beneath his cheek.

"Don't worry, you're a real room to me." He said to the couch. "I'll make you real, you'll see."

"Oh for Godssake!" Rhonda exclaimed, standing up.

Tad sniffed again. "Helga would understand me."

Rhonda whipped out her phone and began texting. "And I'm going to get Helga up here right now to sort this out. This is just getting ridiculous."

* * *

Somehow they'd made it downstairs.

Arnold had no idea where Tad and Rhonda were, but he currently found himself staring at a college dorm desk set up that he might have been slightly jealous of. He should really text Rhonda to see where they'd run off too but he really liked this desk. And Helga had since gone quiet and wasn't running around like a woman on a mission as she had been upstairs so he was counting it as a temporary win.

However…

It had been really quiet.

Leaving his dream desk set up, he wandered around the other design rooms trying to find Helga. He finally found her in the middle of six or seven desks, studying each one as if trying to weigh a decision.

"Hey," he said, sliding up behind her and dropping a kiss on her cheek. "What are you doing?"

Her eyes narrowed in thought for a moment before she answered. "I'm wondering which of them you'd look best pinned aga-"

His eyes widened and he jumped forward, slapping his hand over her mouth before she could finish her sentence. Her own gaze widened as she stared at him over his hand. He could feel the blush rising on his cheeks from her words. The blush deepened when he felt her smile against his hand and suddenly realized that in his haste to shut her up before she could finish that sentence, he'd inadvertently placed himself between her and a desk and had effectively given her an answer to her query. She moved his hand from her mouth, not letting it go, the smile still on her lips.

"While you do look good in this position, this is not the desk."

His phone rang in his pocket, interrupting any further comments and he gratefully pulled it from his pocket, moving away from the desk as he read the text.

 **Get over to the loft design rooms! Tad's distraught over imaginary rooms!**

"Come on, we have to go save Rhonda from a distraught Tad."

"But I have six more desks to test." Helga protested as he pulled her through the kitchenware section.

"Later," he said absently, blushing again when he realized what he'd just agreed to. Helga chuckled.

"I'm holding you to that football head."

* * *

They found Rhonda standing just outside the design room for loft living, looking frustrated.

"What the…" Arnold asked as Helga wandered into the design room.  
"I have no idea, I found him in here clutching a book and wailing about how these never got a chance to be real rooms." She said as they entered in after Helga. The blonde sat on the couch next to the still sniffling Tad and handed him a melon baller.

"Here. I found you something."

Rhonda and Arnold just looked at each other helplessly. Tad looked at the silver instrument and took it, sitting up.

"That's so sweet. Where did you find this?"

"Downstairs."

His eyes widened. "There's a downstairs?"

"Yep. With desks and all sorts of utensils and an entire area with pillows and towels I didn't even get to."

"Hey, how about meatballs?' Rhonda interrupted, not about to allow either of them into an accessories area, especially if there were pillows involved. They'd managed not to get kicked out so far. Arnold looked at her as if she'd lost her mind.

"Would you prefer the two of them in an area with decorative pillows?" she hissed. His eyes widened and he looked back at them grinning.

"All the meatballs. And Lingonberry juice."

Helga and Tad looked at each other.

"What about my melon baller?"

"Take it with you."

"Okay."

The book was tossed haphazardly onto the couch as Tad stood up, melon baller in hand, following Helga, Rhonda and Arnold towards the restaurant.

* * *

"Today was the best day ever!" Helga announced as they headed back to the car. After several hours inside the story they managed to leave with only one melon baller for Tad and three large bars of Swedish chocolate for Helga. After eating lunch in the restaurant, Rhonda and Arnold managed to get the other two past the accessories area and only had to go through the lighting area- where they got held up while Helga and Tad played with rope lights- before making it to the checkout and out the door.

"Sadly, there were a couple of things that caught my eye." Rhonda told Arnold quietly while keeping an eye on the two people in front of them who were discussing the practical purposes of a melon baller. "I wouldn't mind coming back here…without those two."

Arnold nodded. "Truth be told, I kind of covet this entire dorm desk setup they have that I would love to have in my room. You think maybe we could sneak back here one day?"

"I think that could be arranged." She looked at the Tad and Helga who were now sharing one of Helga's chocolate bars. "I'd ask why we bother with these two when they act like children sometimes."

"Because our lives would be boring without them." Arnold answered. Rhonda smiled.

"Hey Arnold," Helga said as they approached. "I need to take a look at your desk."

He could feel the blush come back. "We'll talk about it later."


	12. Hemnes (AH)

Arnold looked around at the floor full of wooden pieces, screws, bolts, tiny plastic circles, a strap and an allen wrench in a little more than horrified confusion.

"I thought it already came assembled."

In front of him, sitting on the floor amidst all the assorted pieces was his darling wife of six months, holding a small booklet up instructions upside down.

"Nope." She said. "That's the beauty of IKEA. We get the joy of assembling all of this ourselves."

"We just paid two hundred and fifty dollars for a dresser we have to put together ourselves?"

She looked up at him with an almost manic grin. "Isn't it great?"

He wrinkled his nose as he carefully picked his way across the room towards her. "Great would not be the word I would use, no."

She waved the instruction booklet at him as he found a bare piece of floor and sat down on it. "Look Arnold, it's this simple. If a marriage can survive building an IKEA dresser together, it can survive anything. Just think of this as insurance."

He chuckled as he took the booklet she was waving at him and opened it to the first page. Then after a minute, he flipped it over and opened it to the first page of the English language side. "So what you're saying is this is training for bigger things in the future?"

"Exactly!"

"I think it's more you and Tad going on an IKEA road trip and impulse buying."  
I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mmhmm."

"You know Shortman, I'm still looking at desks."

He blushed a deep red as he picked up a large piece of wood. "Shut up."

* * *

Twenty minutes later and Arnold was already regretting not repacking this…disaster, sending it back to the store and spending twice as much on a dresser already assembled. He stood with three pieces of wood in precariously situated in what looked like some sort of wood twister game while Helga, now only wearing a light pink tank top, studied the instructions with a determined eye.

"You need piece D. It holds together pieces 1 and 5."

"Where the hell is piece D?"

Helga turned around in a tight circle twice before her eyes widened in accomplishment. She reached down and picked up a long, thin piece of wood and held it aloft in triumph.

"Huzzah!"

"Wonderful. Now can you fit this before my arm falls off!"

"Oh right." She scooped up the appropriate screws and the allen wrench and hurried towards him.

* * *

"This isn't looking like a dresser." Helga stated. Arnold poked his head up from behind the dresser where he was nailing in pieces of hard wood to form the back of the dresser. Helga had her head tilted almost sideways, staring mournfully at the wooden frame. "It's more like the dinosaur skeleton of a dresser. Like, if we turned it sideways, it might come to life and chase us into the kitchen."

He glared at her and went back to nailing.

* * *

"I want a divorce." Arnold announced. Helga looked up at him while she constructed what he thought looked like a drawer.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not being ridiculous, this," he waved his hands wildly around their bedroom which still held what he knew was more pieces of wood than what they started with. The damn dresser was expanding. "This is ridiculous! And it's all your fault. Yours and Tad because you two can't do anything normal, oh no, you have to take day trips to IKEA."

She sniffed as she attached one last piece of wood and suddenly…SUDDENLY, it somehow morphed into an actual dresser drawer.

"Technically, this is your fault." She stated. "I wouldn't have had to buy a Hemnins dresser if you'd hadn't shot down Dyfijord as our first born's name."

"It's pronounced Hemnes!" Arnold shouted. "And we don't even have a first born!"

"Well, we won't with that attitude." She placed the completed drawer to the side and began picking up random wood pieces to start another.

"And another thing," He snatched the second allen wrench from on top of the skeletal dresser as he stormed away from her. "How can you remember to correctly pronounce Dyfijord and not Hemnes?"

"Because Hemnenis isn't going to be our child's name." she stated calmly. He responded with a shout of frustration as he fell onto the floor behind the dresser.

* * *

"Holy…how in the hell did you do that?"

He left the room for only the briefest moment…okay ten brief moments, but he had to go to the bathroom and get out of that room before he locked his beloved wife of six months into that torture contraption she'd bought. That…hellacious infernal device that sat there, tormenting him. When he'd returned, she'd finished creating the eighth drawer, which was residing with its clones and had gone to work in placing the border onto the dresser. It actually looked like a dresser now. A dresser without its drawers in it, but a dresser nonetheless. He was speechless.

"What witchcraft have you wrought?"

With one final turn of a screw, she glanced up at him, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"You're making it too difficult. It's only a dresser not a rubix cube."

"I can work a rubix cube, this…not so much."

"Come here and hold this last piece so I can tighten the screws on it."

He walked over and held the side piece of the dresser while Helga got onto her knees and tightened the final screw. She climbed to her feet, tossing the allen wrench onto the top of the large and now finished dresser.

"Now just to put the drawers in and we're finished."

He helped her put in the drawers, more like fixing a jigsaw puzzle than putting in shelves but eventually it was completed.

He stepped back and looked at the long, redwood piece of furniture that had his arch nemesis for the better part of two hours. He had to admit, it did look good in their bedroom.

"So we've discovered that we can survive anything." He said. Helga grinned at him.

"I can, you on the other hand." She wiggled a hand. "If you listen to me, which you should always do, we get things done."

He wrapped an arm around her waist, smiling at the now finished project.

"We do make a good team."

"Damn right we do."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek and turned to walked out of the bedroom.

"Still not naming our first born Dyfijord."

"Why not!"


End file.
